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As you are running a design/SEO business, then Google does not consider your business model as truly local to anywhere and will only show organic results for queries like 'web design nyc'. So, everyone competing for phrases like this must do so organically. Your efforts will likely need to include on-going content development, link building and, perhaps, an additional outreach via Social Media, video marketing, etc.

Content development will most certainly stand at the core of your strategy, so finding something of interest and value to write about that will be relevant to your desired NJ audience is the task at hand. For web design firms, a natural choice would be beautiful writeups of projects you've completed for NJ businesses. You might also begin doing features of NJ-based businesses with awesome websites, or websites that could be improved, or websites that help the people of NJ is some special way. You can display some of your expertise by critiquing what works. Basically, you're going to have to brainstorm some great ideas that would make for excellent content and then keep brainstorming and writing so that you can begin to build authority around search terms that relate to New Jersey. But, again, the end goal here will be organic rankings rather than local ones, simply because Google stopped displaying web design and SEO firms for common local queries some years ago.

Your creativity is your best asset towards achievement of your goals. Lots of work ahead! Good luck!

Yes, that's what you should do for organic traffic but since it sounds like you don't have a physical presence there, I wouldn't expect to show up in the local results. Before going after NJ traffic though, I would say to first be sure that you are already ranking well for your NY related searches--and converting that traffic efficiently. For local businesses, it typically makes sense to maximize the potential of your closest, most likely customers before reaching out a broader audience.

Im not really a local business. I have clients across the country. We do web design so it can be done with a phone call and emails but I get a decent amount of local business and I knew I had to focus on somewhere specific for seo.

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